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About FOGO

FOGO is a weekly food and garden organics collection service to divert waste from landfill and increase production of compost

Costa Georgiadis (right) talks organic waste with Bega Valley Shire Council's Mick Jarochowicz during a visit to the Merimbula Waste and Recycling Depot.

We are proud to be one of the first councils in NSW to introduce a FOGO (Food Organics Garden Organics) bin collection service. Our community in the Bega Valley has been saying ‘yes to compost’ and ‘no to landfill’ since October 2018. From 2030 all councils in NSW will be required to provide a FOGO service to turn their food and garden waste into high quality compost instead of putting it into landfill.

FOGO saves valuable landfill space, saves money and gives us all the opportunity to be smarter with waste!

Photograph: Costa Georgiadis (right) talks organic and food waste with Bega Valley Shire Council’s Organics Processing Coordinator, Mick Yarra during a visit to the Merimbula Waste and Recycling Centre.

Why FOGO?

Food waste is easy to keep out of landfill. FOGO is part of a plan to improve the way we manage waste, and it has both financial and environmental benefits.

On average (by weight) 38% of red bin content is food that can be composted. Landfill should be the last option for waste disposal.  Landfills are expensive, and landfilling results in resources being lost, instead of being recycled. As populations increase around Australia, and in the Bega Valley, the rate that landfills are filling up is also increasing. The faster the landfill space is used, the greater the cost to the community and the environment.

Who is eligible to have a FOGO service?

All residents within the town limits of Merimbula, Berrambool, Mirador, Bega, Tura Beach, Bermagui, Cobargo, Tathra, Mogareeka, Eden, Wolumla, Kalaru, Pambula, Quaama, Wallaga Lake and Candelo are required to have a FOGO bin as part of our three bin waste collection system. FOGO bins are collected from about 12,500 properties in the Bega Valley.

All businesses within town limits who are on a FOGO collection route and can present their bins for kerbside collection are also eligible to apply for a Commercial FOGO service. See the FOGO for Business page for more information.

What can go wrong?

FOGO changes the way you sort your household waste for collection and its success relies on not having contaminants in your green-lid FOGO bin. We have a variety of resources to help choose the right bin and to let you know what you can put in your FOGO bin.

Although our community has achieved relatively low contamination rates, contamination is an ongoing challenge. We have a Contamination Process which aims to help keep contamination low.

How often is my FOGO bin collected?

  • Residential and Commercial FOGO collection is a weekly service. Businesses in the Merimbula and Pambula area are able to opt in for a second weekly pick up service (see the FOGO for Business page for more information).

To find out more about your bin collection dates visit HERE or download the FREE Bega Valley Waste APP.

Why FOGO makes sense

  • Food waste generates methane when disposed of in landfill. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas 24 times as potent than carbon dioxide. Less methane production in our landfill means we are reducing our environmental impact.
  • Our landfill will last longer. FOGO will divert about 1000 tonnes of household food waste away from landfill each year.
  • The NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 has a target of 80% of waste generated away from landfill. We are working towards these targets through the Bega Valley Waste Strategy and FOGO plays an important role.
  • The capture and reuse of organics through FOGO is aligned with the transition to a sustainable circular economy.

FOGO is not just about choosing the right bin, it’s about changing the way we think about waste…
 

Simple tips to reduce food waste

  • Plan your weekly menu and take a shopping list (with quantities) to the supermarket
  • Cook with leftovers
  • Store food correctly so it lasts longer
  • Take advantage of your local community garden


Questions and Answers


Bega Valley FOGO collections started in October 2018.

 

Your green-lid bin is the bin you use for your Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) waste.

Most things that were was once living can go into your FOGO bin. This includes:

  • Garden prunings, grass clippings, weeds, leaves and flowers 
  • Food waste and leftovers, cooked or raw (no plastic or cardboard containers!) 
  • Fruit, vegetables and peel 
  • Meat, cooked or raw (including bones) 
  • Seafood (prawn heads, oyster shells, fish bones) 
  • Dairy (milk, cheese, cream, yoghurt) 
  • Eggs and eggshells 
  • Coffee grinds and tea leaves 
  • Certified Compostable caddy liners that comply with Australian Standard AS 4736-2006 (look for the Seedling logo!)
  • Paper towel or newspaper used to line your FOGO caddy

Note: processed, dried or treated timber, which was once a living thing, cannot be placed in your FOGO bin. However, garden waste with woody parts is FOGO friendly.

There is some confusion over the meaning of biodegradable and a misconception that biodegradable items are compostable. They are not. ‘Degradable’ does mean they will break down into tiny pieces but some biodegradable items are still plastic. Our composting technology does not have the capacity to break down biodegradable items so please keep them out of your FOGO bin.

You can look up any item in our A-Z of Waste & Recycling (or on the Waste App) to check which bin it goes in. These are the common items that are not allowed in your FOGO bin:

  • Plastic bags, cling wrap, plant pots or trays or any other hard or soft plastic 
  • Glass bottles or jars 
  • All metal including tins and cans 
  • Timber, building rubble such as concrete and bricks 
  • Takeaway coffee cups, teabags and containers (including cardboard and certified compostable) 
  • Food packaging (including cardboard and certified compostable) 
  • Bamboo or timber cutlery 
  • Baking paper (including certified compostable) 
  • Paper towel, serviettes, tissues  
  • Nappies, medical waste or anything unsafe 
  • Vacuum cleaner dust, washing machine or dryer lint 
  • Hair
  • Pet poo, kitty litter or pet poo bags (including certified compostable) 

Your FOGO bin is placed out for collection on the same day as your other kerbside bins. You can access a collection calendar for your address by:

Downloading the FREE Bega Valley Waste App – an electronic calendar and reminders are available in the App

Calling us on 02 6499 2222 or visiting a local Library or Customer Service at Council’s Zingel Place office.

Visiting Council's website for an electronic calendar

When we distribute the kitchen caddies and compostable bags we will provide you with information about the start date. Stay up-to-date on when FOGO starts by:

Council encourages home composting, however, the FOGO service is provided as standard to all residents where the FOGO service is available.

The FOGO collection service is provided weekly to reduce odours. As an added measure, we encourage the use of FOGO caddies and certified compostable bags to contain scraps (and any smell!). You can place all food scraps into your caddy and tie the bag up before placing it into your FOGO bin. Caddies and bags are available free for new residents, or can be purchased at Council Libraries, and Transfer Stations and from Customer Service at Council’s Zingel Place office for a small fee.

Compostable caddy bags are placed into your kitchen caddy; they make collecting food scraps easy and clean. Typically they are made from vegetable starch and become food for the tiny microbes in the composting process. Make sure that you are using certified compostable caddy liners that comply with Australian Standard AS 4736-2006 (look for the Seedling logo).

Caddies and certified compostable bags can be purchased at Council Libraries, and Transfer Stations and from Customer Service at Council’s Zingel Place office. Certified compostable bags are also available at supermarkets, just make sure they are certified to Australian Standard AS 4736-2006 (look for the Seedling logo). 

Yes, using a sheet of newspaper or paper towel is great - just don’t use plastic bags like produce bags or shopping bags. These are not compostable!

Yes, a weekly FOGO collection service is available to many commercial properties. If a business is within town limits, on a FOGO collection route and able to present bins for kerbside collection it may be eligible to apply for a Commercial FOGO service. A trial twice-weekly collection service is also operating in the Pambula and Merimbula area. See the FOGO for Business page for more information.

Yes, most multi-unit dwellings are eligible for a FOGO service. Call Council on 6499 2222 so that we can assist your directly.

Yes, you can modify the size and number of your bins to suit your individual needs. Changes can be made easily by calling Council on 6499 2222 or by filling out the Changing the Size and Number of Your Bins form. Please note that every property will have a required minimum bin configuration depending on your address and property type.

The collection contractor’s vehicles are fitted with cameras that can look at contents of each bin. If your bin has contaminants we will put a bin contamination tag on your bin notifying you of the issue and providing you with information to help you choose the right bin. Consistent contamination issues are dealt with under Council’s Contamination Policy.


Stay up-to-date on FOGO by:


Related Media Releases

NSW Government log with link to Waste LessRecycle more.This project was supported by the Environmental Trust as part of the NSW EPA’s Waste Less, Recycle More initiative, funded from the waste levy.

 

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